Breaking Bao – The Hot Jam Bao
During the event, each dish could be paired with one of 452 complimentary, champion wines selected from the 2018 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition.

A selection of the champion wines will be available for tasting, by the glass and bottle, throughout the run of the Rodeo, Feb. 27 through March 18, in the Champion Wine Garden, located in Carruth Plaza.

WHAT:Pokéworks, one of the fastest growing poke concepts in the country, has opened the doors to its newest location in Houston at 2630 Pearland Parkway, Suite 110. To celebrate, the ocean-to-counter spot will feature a special “buy-one-get-one free” offer on all poke bowls, burritos and salads all day during its public grand opening event. In addition to exclusive giveaways and prizes, the first 50 guests in line with enjoy a coveted Pokéworks branded coconut.

Best Japanese Happy Hour: Uchi, Montrose

With a name that literally means “house,” the Uchi crew is sure to make you feel right at home with their daily Sake Social Hour. Though this often-frequented lower-Westheimer restaurant is known for their sushi, don’t miss their innovative specials and drinks starting at 5 p.m.

A leading summer event in Paris for nearly 30 years, this elegant and secret affair is well on its way to becoming a Houston tradition! On Saturday, November 18, 2017, Le Dîner en Blanc – Houston will return for its third year. The breathtaking scene of thousands of guests elegantly dressed in white, descending upon one of the city’s most prestigious public spaces, is extraordinary for guests and passers-by alike. To learn more about this event, visit houston.dinerenblanc.com.—Cassidy Irish

AIDS FOUNDATION HOUSTON’S ANNUAL “DINING OUT FOR LIFE”
EVENT IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY

More than 40 Houston-area restaurants (and counting) will participate in the annual fundraising event, presented by Gillman Subaru

HOUSTON, TEXAS — For one day in April—Thursday, April 28, 2016—Houston-area restaurants are donating a percentage of sales to AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH) through their participation in the annual nationwide event, Dining Out for Life. Gillman Subaru is the presenting sponsor for this year’s event, which is hosted by chair Michael Pearce and honorary chair Jessica Rossman.

Guests interested in supporting AIDS Foundation Houston can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner throughout the day at one of more than 40 participating restaurants (and counting). A portion of the proceeds support AFH’s programs and services that help thousands of Houstonians living with HIV/AIDS.

“Year after year, we are impressed by the outpouring of support by restaurants and diners alike,” said Kelly Young, Chief Executive Officer of AIDS Foundation Houston. “We can end HIV/AIDS within our lifetime, and Dining Out for Life helps raise funds and awareness that gets us closer to that goal. All you have to do is go out to eat.”

In 1991, an ActionAIDS volunteer in Philadelphia created Dining Out for Life. Now the event is produced in 60 cities throughout the United States and Canada, with more than 3,000 restaurants donating a portion of their proceeds from this one special day of dining. AIDS Foundation Houston has participated in the event since the inaugural year, raising thousands of dollars in support thanks to a mandate that ensures funds raised locally stay local.

The 2016 participating restaurants offer something for everyone. As of April 14, 2016, participating restaurants are:

Kale, the super food, is all the rage.

Now you can enjoy kale for a cause. A great local promotion, Green Valentine celebrates artists, restaurants, nonprofits and businesses that are helping Houstonians live healthier lives.

Eleven restaurants from across the city are running Green Eggs &Kale dishes on their menus, with 20-percent of proceeds going to benefit local food organization Urban Harvest. They include all of the Creek Group restaurants (Onion, Dry, Cedar, Canyon and Lowbrow), Main Kitchen at the JW Marriott, Pondicheri, Sparrow, Canopy, Cottonwood and Liberty Kitchen on Studewood.

“I’ve been growing kale for years,” says Jeff Shell of greenvalentine.org. It made perfect sense to combine eggs with this super food. At a preview event, we saw some of the available dishes from Lowbrow, Onion Creek, Canopy, Sparrow and Liberty Kitchen.

Sugar Land Flying Saucer’s 3rd annual BeerFeast will feature over 40 breweries and 60 craft beers, all carefully selected by Flying Saucer’s resident beer gurus. In addition, very rare and limited-release beers will be tapped one at time throughout the fest. Once again a variety of Sugar Land Town Square restaurants will have food available for sale during the festival.

Tickets are $35, and can be purchased here or at the Saucer beginning at 10am CDT, Wednesday, July 16th . The day of the fest, tickets will be $45 at the door if still available. Ticket purchase includes admission to the festival, a tasting card that is good for choice of 12 samples of any of the 60 festival beers, and a 2014 commemorative BeerFeast tasting glass. There are also designated driver tickets available for $15, which includes admission to the festival and complimentary soft drinks. Additional taster cards will be available for purchase by all VIP and general admission ticket holders on the day of the festival for just $3.

In addition to general admission tickets, again this year a very limited number of VIP tickets will be available for purchase. They are expected to sell out quickly and will only be available for sale online only prior to the festival for $65. In addition to the taster glass and sampling session, VIP ticket purchase includes early admission to the festival at noon, food vouchers redeemable at any of the festival food vendors, a 2014 BeerFeast T-shirt and a BeerFeast Brew Caddy. Additionally, all VIP ticket holders will have access to the rare brew tapping VIP only line.

The Grand Zesting features a live auction benefiting the West Houston Leadership Institute, the Zestiest Display Contest, a relaxation zone and interactive displays. Warning if you come out in style you may just be spotted as a potential winner of the Fashion Forward Award.

Houston’s first food truck park is still going strong. The turnout was like nothing they could have imagined and people just keep coming back! The park sits in the shadows of what was the Meridian Club building at Chartres and Leeland and sports well known and loved food trucks such as Bernie’s Burger Bus. The food trucks gather in a group of about 8 each day for lunch and rotate out during the week. Trust us when we say there is something for everyone here and some are just short of gourmet!

For more information about food trucks and their schedules (or to schedule your own food truck) go to: roaminghunger.com

Dates and Times: Third Saturday of every month Spring through Summer. The event is held in the day during Winter months.Location: Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010Admission: Free!!!

Are you ready for some unique flea marketing,people-watching, food-trucking fun? Every third Saturday of the month, browse, shop and explore the Discovery Green Flea Market by Night.

Discovery Green, in the southeast corner of the park is where it all takes place. It’s not simply a flea market (though it’s that too). It also features a spread of goods including new art, kitsch, vintage items, mid-century modern furniture, recycled and repurposed items and collectibles. Bring a date, the kids, and the dogs!

If you love Houston’s food trucks as much as we do, you can grab a bite from among some of Houston’s most popular food trucks.

If you missed the this month’s Discovery Green Flea Market by Night, there will be more. During cooler months, the Discovery Green Flea happens in the afternoon.

Date: Saturday, June 28, 2014Time: 4pm to 7pmLocation: Local Pour, 1952 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019 Admission: $25 in advance purchased at Local Pour; $30 at the door

Whiskey aficionados rejoice! Local Pour, located in River Oaks, is offering a whiskey spread for you to sample and savor from some of their favorite distilleries and brands. Word is, they’ll even have Orphan Barrel Barterhouse. Attendees will also receive a punch card that is good for a sample tasting of each of the 12 offered whiskeys.

Representatives from each of the participating distilleries like Yellow Rose, Rebecca Creek, Herman Marshall, Red River, Jameson, and Whitmeyer’s will be on hand and some will even compete for a slot at Local Pour’s cocktail menu.

For thousands of Houstonians and visitors to the bayou city, Houston Restaurant Weeks provides a month-long passport to the city’s top restaurants and award-winning chefs. Recently Food & Wine magazine tapped Houston as “America’s newest capital of great food,” coming as no surprise to locals who crowd some of the most popular dining rooms in the city.

Houston Restaurants Weeks is run by volunteers and 100 percent of the proceeds raised from area restaurants go directly to the Food Bank. For 33 days, diners get to taste prix-fixe menus specially priced at $20 for lunch and $35 and $45 for dinner. A $20 two or three-course lunch generates a $3 donation from the participating restaurants to the Houston Food Bank. A $35 three or four-course dinner generates a $5 donation, while a $45 three or four-course dinner generates a $7 donation.

In addition to the ever-expanding contribution made to the Houston Food Bank, Houston Restaurant Weeks has grown to include not only the trendiest eateries in Uptown Galleria, bustling downtown and vibrant Midtown, but also popular eateries in outlying communities such as The Woodlands, Sugar Land and Galveston, Texas, among others.

A complete listing of participating restaurants and their respective Houston Restaurant Weeks menus is posted at HoustonRestaurantWeeks.com. Reservations are required for diners seeking to take advantage of Houston Restaurant Weeks, however participating restaurants may take walk-ins at their discretion.

Founded in 2003 by Cleverley Stone, Houston Restaurant Weeks raised over $4.3 million for the Houston Food Bank from the over 253,000 meals served at the 169 participating restaurants. The result: The 13 million meals provided for those who are food insecure, makes Houston Restaurant Weeks the largest single fundraising event for the Food Bank and the largest restaurant weeks of its kind in the United States.

The inaugural Humble Margarita Festival at the Humble Civic Center is the perfect get away for those who enjoy margaritas, live music, dancing and great food! The festival will showcase an assortment of nearly 20 flavors of 100 percent agave tequila margaritas, a diverse lineup of live music, headlined by award-winning country music star, Curtis Grimes, and an array of Mexican, barbecue, seafood and Creole cuisine. Tickets are on sale now at www.humblemargaritafest.com and are available at all H-E-B grocery stores in Humble, Atascocita and Kingwood.

Houston Urban Adventures’ Historic Downtown Pub Tour, available Monday-Saturday from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., features tales of murder, gambling, brothels, and ghosts as you visit four unique neighborhood bars around Market Square Park in the old Town of Houston.

You do NOT want to miss this!
Summer Concert Series: Cost: $5.00 Our kitchen will have concessions. $5.00 Cover charge for everyone over 21 and over (under 21 is free). No outside food or beverages allowed on the property. Bring your own lawn chair incase ours fill up. If you like drinking out of a wine glass, please bring your own glass, we use plastic cups on concert days. Don’t forget your insect spray incase the bugs are visiting.

Montrose was one of the city’s first grand neighborhoods. But it’s also long been accessible to nearly everyone, a place where mansions stand on tree-lined streets next to modest dwellings and multi-unit townhomes.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Montrose became a center for the burgeoning counterculture movement, featuring street musicians, artists studios, and second-hand shops, helping shape the neighborhood’s culture today.

Throughout the years, the main commercial corridor of the neighborhood, Westheimer Road, has been the central street for residents to shop, dine, and drink. Today, world class restaurants can be found next to tattoo shops and art galleries, a unique mix not found anywhere else in the city.

Our Montrose Dine Around combines a cultural, historical, and architectural tour with a progressive meal, held at four critically acclaimed local restaurants. The neighborhood has been a mecca for culinary diversity where indigenous cuisine mixes with more progressive fare, while authentic ethnic enclaves continue to grow in number. Restaurants and menus are subject to change.